Residential Homestead Exemption – General Info

Transcript

The Williamson Central Appraisal District presents Residential Homestead Exemption: General
information. This presentation is provided to explain: The term Homestead as it relates to the
Texas Property Tax Code, the residential homestead exemption and benefits it provides,
requirements for eligibility, important filing dates and deadlines, where applications may be
obtained, and where the application must be filed.

A homestead is defined as the one primary residence of a person. A property owner may not
claim another homestead exemption inside or outside the state of Texas. The homeowner must
file application for homestead exemption with the appraisal district in the county for which
they reside and will not receive the benefits of property tax savings until the application has
been filed. The exemption will be removed if the homeowner leaves the homesteaded property
and establishes residency elsewhere.

The Texas Property Tax Code provides an exemption for owner-occupied property. The
exemption removes a portion of value from taxation, which gives an eligible property owner a
lower tax amount for a homestead property. A homestead exemption also restricts the amount
that the assessed value of a residential property may increase from one year to the next. And
finally, there are no charges associated with filing a homestead or any other exemption.
Property Owners eligible for the homestead exemption must have owned and occupied the
residence as of January 1st of the current tax year. Also, the property must be a primary
residence, and owners are eligible for only one homestead exemption if they own more than
one property. Applicants must attach a copy of their driver license or state-issued personal
identification certificate. The address listed on your driver license or state-issued personal
identification certificate must correspond to the address of the property for which an
exemption is claimed in this application. In certain cases, you may be exempt from these
requirements or the chief appraiser may waive the requirements. A homestead may include up
to 20 acres of land that are part of the residential use or occupancy of a home.

The residential homestead exemption filing deadline is April 30th each year. The Property Tax
Code allows for late filed applications, however, they may be filed no later than one year after
the tax delinquency date. Once the exemption is approved, reapplication is not required unless
requested by the appraisal district. However, notification must be provided to the appraisal
district if and when a right to any exemption ends or qualifications change. An over 65
exemption application is required when an owner becomes eligible, unless the appraisal district
has the property owner’s date of birth indicating over-65 exemption eligibility. In this instance,
the appraisal district will apply the over-65 exemption without application. However, the
disability exemption requires application when the property owner becomes eligible.

The appraisal district website www.wcad.org has applications that may be printed from the link
titled: Forms. Property owners may contact our office at 512.930.3787 and request an
exemption application be mailed. Or, visitors to the appraisal district office may request an
application from a Public Services representative.

Additionally, for eligible property owners, online filing may be done. Online filing for eligible
property owners is located under the property search tab on the WCAD homepage. Select the
property search tab and enter your corresponding information in the appropriate field. Select
your property in the results field and select the File HS Exemption icon to begin filling out the
application. For an in depth explanation of online filing, please see the video title Online
Homestead Filing.

Appraisal district public services representatives are available to assist property owners with
questions about any exemption allowed by the Texas Property Tax Code and the associated
application requirements. Appraisal district visitors should take a number, and the first
available representative will assist them. The public services representative will provide a
property owner with a homestead exemption application upon request, and present additional
information or assistance on how to appropriately fill one out. The completed application may
then be left with the representative for processing.
There are multiple ways to file your homestead exemption application. Homesteads filed online
will be submitted electronically. All other completed homestead exemption applications may be
emailed to exemptions@wcad.org, mailed to the Williamson Central Appraisal District or hand
delivered to the office as stated earlier.

Anyone visiting the appraisal district is also invited to complete a short public service survey to
indicate the quality of service provided. Surveys may be completed electronically in the lobby
and on the WCAD website as well. Additionally, paper copies of the survey may be obtained
from any public service representative, or the kiosk located in the lobby. The printed surveys
have prepaid postage and may be mailed, or placed in the survey box located in the lobby.
We appreciate your interest in the general information regarding the residential homestead
exemption. If you have any questions, please contact us at 512.930.3787.
Thank you!

"We will provide quality service with the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and respect. We will uphold these standards while providing an accurate, fair, and cost-effective appraisal roll in compliance with the laws of the State of Texas."

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Disclaimer

The Williamson Central Appraisal District provides this information "as is" without warranty of any kind. This data could include inaccuracies or typographical errors. The Williamson Central Appraisal District is not responsible for any errors or omissions. The maps have been prepared according to Section 9.3002 Tax Maps, Texas Property Tax Laws. Accuracy is limited to the validity of available data.